WHO WERE THEATER-GOERS IN ELIZABETAHN ENGLAND? WHAT WAS AN AUDIENCE LIKE IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND? WHAT WAS A THEATRE-GOING EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR NOBILITY, MERCHANT CLASS, AND COMMONERS? Answer prepared by: Jack Hiller The people who attended plays in the Elizabethan era came from every walk of life. From the Queen all the way down to the "commoners" almost everyone in England would attend plays. However how they experienced the performances would be much different. The different classes often went to different theatres. Even when they attended the same play they were often in different sections of the playhouse. There was no law or rules regulating this, it was a matter of how much you could pay. The play was a form of entertainment that all could enjoy.
The wealthy nobility frequently attended plays. They would attend private, indoor theatres in the winter. These theatres were much more expensive and held only around 600 people. When the wealthy went to the public, outdoor theatres they would purchase seats in the gallery. If they wanted to spend a bit more they could sit in a covered area known as the Lord's Room. This was similar to modern day luxury boxes at stadiums. If one had a lot of money to spend an audience member could sit on a small chair that was actually on the side of the stage. They would be on the stage with the actors and have a front row seat. How the wealthy saw plays differed greatly from the way the ordinary people would.
Queen Elizabeth also loved theatrical performances. She however did not go to the public theatres. The actors would come to her court and perform just for the Queen and her court. She even had her own acting company known as the Queen's Players. Elizabeth actually didn't see very many of Shakespeare's plays, most were written after her death. When Elizabeth was succeeded by King James, he continued to see plays in private. He sponsored William Shakespeare's company. They then changed their name from Lord Chamberlin's Men to the King's Men. It was important for the monarch to watch plays because if the King or Queen did not enjoy plays many people would follow their leader's lead and also stop attending.
When the commoners went to plays they had a much different experience than the wealthy. When a flag was flown above a theatre that signaled a play was to be performed that afternoon. Any Londoner could board a ferry and sail across the Thames to Bankside, where man theatres were located. . They could pay by depositing one penny into a box. This box is where we get the term box office. The penny did not buy you a place to sit. Instead, one would have to stand on the ground in front of the stage. These audience members were referred to as groundlings; the groundlings were more energetic than he seated audience members. If they didn't like the play they would boo and jeer. According to the Folger Shakespeare Library, it appears that the groundlings often snacked on hazelnuts at performances. At excavation sites, hazelnut shells are often found all around the stage. Despite the inconvenience of standing and being outside over, 15,000 commoners attended plays every week. The theatre was an experience all could enjoy. People of sorts attended plays in Shakespeare’s England.
Works Cited 1. Bevington, David, Anne Welsh, and Michael Greenwald. Shakespeare Script, Stage, Screen. New York, New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. Print.
2. Boyce, Charles. Shakespeare A to Z. Facts on File: New York, 1990.
Answer prepared by: Jack Hiller
The people who attended plays in the Elizabethan era came from every walk of life. From the Queen all the way down to the "commoners" almost everyone in England would attend plays. However how they experienced the performances would be much different. The different classes often went to different theatres. Even when they attended the same play they were often in different sections of the playhouse. There was no law or rules regulating this, it was a matter of how much you could pay. The play was a form of entertainment that all could enjoy.
The wealthy nobility frequently attended plays. They would attend private, indoor theatres in the winter. These theatres were much more expensive and held only around 600 people. When the wealthy went to the public, outdoor theatres they would purchase seats in the gallery. If they wanted to spend a bit more they could sit in a covered area known as the Lord's Room. This was similar to modern day luxury boxes at stadiums. If one had a lot of money to spend an audience member could sit on a small chair that was actually on the side of the stage. They would be on the stage with the actors and have a front row seat. How the wealthy saw plays differed greatly from the way the ordinary people would.
Queen Elizabeth also loved theatrical performances. She however did not go to the public theatres. The actors would come to her court and perform just for the Queen and her court. She even had her own acting company known as the Queen's Players. Elizabeth actually didn't see very many of Shakespeare's plays, most were written after her death. When Elizabeth was succeeded by King James, he continued to see plays in private. He sponsored William Shakespeare's company. They then changed their name from Lord Chamberlin's Men to the King's Men. It was important for the monarch to watch plays because if the King or Queen did not enjoy plays many people would follow their leader's lead and also stop attending.
When the commoners went to plays they had a much different experience than the wealthy. When a flag was flown above a theatre that signaled a play was to be performed that afternoon. Any Londoner could board a ferry and sail across the Thames to Bankside, where man theatres were located. . They could pay by depositing one penny into a box. This box is where we get the term box office. The penny did not buy you a place to sit. Instead, one would have to stand on the ground in front of the stage. These audience members were referred to as groundlings; the groundlings were more energetic than he seated audience members. If they didn't like the play they would boo and jeer. According to the Folger Shakespeare Library, it appears that the groundlings often snacked on hazelnuts at performances. At excavation sites, hazelnut shells are often found all around the stage. Despite the inconvenience of standing and being outside over, 15,000 commoners attended plays every week. The theatre was an experience all could enjoy. People of sorts attended plays in Shakespeare’s England.
Works Cited
1. Bevington, David, Anne Welsh, and Michael Greenwald. Shakespeare Script, Stage, Screen. New York, New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. Print.
2. Boyce, Charles. Shakespeare A to Z. Facts on File: New York, 1990.
3. "Elizabethan Theatre Audiences." Elizabethan Era. Elizabethan Era, 2005. Web. http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-theatre-audiences.htm.
4. The Editors Of Time-Life Books, . What Life was Like In the Realm Of Elizabeth. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1998. 111-117. Print.